July 29, 2017:

 

            We got up and got dressed. We went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast we put all our stuff in the rental car and headed out to Luray about 16 miles away.

 

            The drive to Luray went through some winding mountain roads.  We saw a sign for the event parking on a road branching off the highway. We followed it and ended up stuck in a line of traffic. However, we were directed to a parking lot and we parked. We then walked the rest of the way.

 

            Police were on hand to stop traffic on the highway to let people cross to attend “Cooter's Last Stand”. I photographed many of the cars on display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            We went inside. There were more General Lees than I've seen before.

 

            There were booths for members of the cast who were signing autographs including John Schneider who I had seen three times prior to this trip and Tom Wopat whom I had seen in 2011.

 

            Mark and I joined the line to see Catherine Bach who played Daisy Duke on the show. Her line was one of the longest. As it was, we spent most of the day in the line! However, Mark was with me in the line and at one point, I went out to get lunch. I rejoined the line which wasn’t much closer to where Catherine Bach was.

 

            At one point, I photographed Tom Wopat who played Luke Duke on the show.

 

 

            At one point, the cast members including Catherine went out to perform. Mark offered to keep our spot in line. I went out and bought lunch. I also caught a stage show with many members of the cast. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            There was going to be a jump with a replica General Lee. Prior to the jump, there was a Hazzard County patrol car driving around. I photographed it.

 

 

            There were at least three drones flying around recording the jump. When the jump happened, I attempted to film it.

 

 

            I then went back in line with Catherine Bach. After awhile she returned and I eventually made it to the front of the line where I got her autograph.

 

 

            After, I joined the shorter line for Rick Hurst who played Deputy Cletus Hogg in a couple seasons. I was able to get his autograph.

 

 

 

            After, I photographed a few more cars on display including a replica General Lee which had been damaged in a crash from a jump gone wrong in Detroit early this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the General Lee that got damaged in Detroit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Mark and I then headed back to the hotel. We stopped for dinner before we went to the front desk and got keys to our non smoking room. We went online and learned other cast members were there really late signing autographs. We eventually called it a night.

 

July 30, 2017:

 

            We got up and got dressed. We went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast we headed out to Cooter’s for the second day of the event.

 

            After parking, we headed to the event. I photographed several cars including a damaged Hazzard County police car on the back of Cooter’s tow truck.

 

 

 

 

Enos you dipstick!

 

 

            I photographed the General Lee replica on the ramp as there would be another jump later on in the day.

 

 

            I joined the line up for Sonny Shroyer who played Enos on the Dukes of Hazzard. The line was long but nowhere near as long as the line for Catherine Bach the day before.

 

            I eventually got to the front of the line. I got Sonny Shroyer’s autograph and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I had gotten autographs from three of the surviving cast members who were signing autographs whom I had yet to get. There was one more person who I would have like to get his autograph but I would try a little later.

 

            In the meantime, I decided to have lunch. After lunch, I looked around. I went inside the store. I took some photos of items inside the store.

 

 

When the Duke of Hazzard was on, they also had an animated series voiced by the actors from the live action show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Best who played Roscoe Coltrane passed a year or two prior.

 

 

 

 

Here’s Boss Hogg’s Caddy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            There was a TV playing episodes from the show. I watched for a little while. I eventually bought a t-shirt and a postcard before I headed outside.

 

            Before I continue, I thought I’d tell how I got into the Dukes of Hazzard.

 

            Back in 1996-1997, my cousin was staying with my family for a time. He told me about it and we watched some reruns on “The Nashville Network”. I soon became hooked. I showed the reruns to a few of my friends including Mark who also started liking it. Another one of my friends found the constant police car wrecks amusing and sometimes didn’t believe how the characters managed to walk away from some crashes uninjured.

 

            I then went outside and photographed some General Lees.

 

 

            The line to meet John Schneider who played Bo Duke on the show was very long. I didn’t even bother joining the line because I had already gotten his autograph on three previous occasions including my trip to Comic Con in Niagara Falls earlier this year. I did attempt to photograph him though.

 

 

            I then joined the line to meet Don Pedro Colley who played Sheriff Little on the show. Sheriff Little was from the next county over and hated the Dukes.

 

            As I got close to the front of the line, I photographed him, even though I wasn’t there yet.

 

 

            Don then left for another stage show like the day before. However, he would return after the show. I got in place to see today’s jump.

 

            I photographed another General Lee.

 

 

            I learned that the General Lee for the jump was not an authentic Dodge Charger, but a replica built on a modern car’s frame. I photographed the replica General Lee.

 

 

            I saw the drones flying around. I saw a house next to the field had a fence that offered an excellent view of the jump.

 

            After a few practice runs, the jump occurred. I filmed the jump.

 

 

            I then rejoined the line to get Don Pedro Colley’s autograph. He eventually returned. Unfortunately, Mark came and wanted to leave even though he could tell I was in line. We left. I photographed a few cars in the parking lot.

 

 

 

            We left and returned to the hotel. We stopped for dinner at the Burger King near our hotel. This Burger King had some statues of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis; the later was wearing a paper Burger King crown. I photographed the statues.

 

 

 

            After dinner, we stopped at a gas station where I filled up the tank even though I’d probably fill it up again.  We returned to the hotel where we went online and I worked on this report. We also went for a swim in the pool.

 

            We eventually asked for a wake up call at 6:00 am and called it a night.

 

Click for our trip back home on Amtrak:    Virginia trip final part